


wasn't looking for love but he found me

by MaddieandChimney



Series: Meet Cutes [9]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, in which maddie is a nurse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27080212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: Maddie is having a rough first day at work after she takes a job as a Nurse in LA, so the poor paramedic who comes in from dehydration gets more of a lecture from her than he probably deserves. And well, oops? She just lectured one of her brother's colleagues and good friends and she knows she has to apologise.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Series: Meet Cutes [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927492
Kudos: 16
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	wasn't looking for love but he found me

The regret is immediate.

Maddie had wanted to help people for as long as she could remember and nursing had meant everything to her. For a long time, it had been her one true escape from the nightmare that was her home life. It’s only day one and she’s already feeling more like more of a jail than the safe haven it used to be. She knows she’s probably not making the best first impression on the people who are meant to be her colleagues as she constantly looks over her shoulder as though Doug is about to walk through the hospital doors at any second.

It’s the eleventh hour of her twelve-hour shift and it’s usually about the time she starts to feel that impending sense of doom as she wonders what she’s about to go home to. Only, she’s been on edge all day, the dread has filled her since the second she had gotten into the car and driven to the hospital. She’s only been in LA for three weeks and she’s starting to wonder if this was the right move for her. Doug knew people who knew people who… who could probably find out exactly where she is. 

She’s exhausted, more so than she thinks she has ever been before, potentially from the fact she’s been on her feet for the last eleven-hours but also from the two panic attacks she’s had to hide from the people who already think she’s crazy and quite potentially the worst nurse with the most experience they’ve ever hired.

Maddie takes a deep breath as she looks at the man in front of him, still in his LAFD uniform, his face pale and an IV drip in his arm. “You can go as soon as that’s done,” She comments, knowing her tone is short and snappy as she looks up from his medical chart to him, but only for a brief second. “although you know this could have all been avoided if you’d drunk some water.”

Maybe not the most professional thing she could have said but it’s too late to take back as she focus on the tablet in her hands instead and not on the feeling she has that she’s being watched. Her grip tightens as she gulps, realising her hands are shaking and her chest feels tight. “I know, I know.”

“Honestly, do you? You’re sitting there in your paramedic uniform having just come in because you passed out from dehydration? You should know better than wasting our time when we could be looking after someone who genuinely needs our help.” She doesn’t even look at him as she talks, although she knows she’s not being fair or even professional. She’s probably not even right because yeah, he should look after himself better, especially when he’s in the position he is but she knows how the day can get on top of her sometimes and she can go twelve hours without eating or drinking anything beyond a few sips here and there. She knows that sometimes she’s too busy focusing on helping others to help herself.

But, at the same time, she wants to get out of there and hide in her apartment. Maddie can feel her chest tightening, the tell-tale sign that the anxiety is about to overwhelm her in a way that will somehow make her look even more unprofessional than she does right then. “Look, you don’t have to lecture me, I’ll get it enough from my partner.”

She can’t stop herself as she finally looks up at him, “Good. How many patients do you see to every single week who have done the exact same thing you’ve done today? How many people have missed out on care because—” Then she sees it. The pink scar in the centre of his forehead that causes her chest to tighten in a completely different way, her heart feeling as though it’s dropped to her stomach. LAFD, paramedic, a distinct looking scar that she’d heard a story about from her brother. There’s only one person he could possibly be and great, she’s just made the rudest introduction to one of her brother’s colleges, someone he considers to be family. Someone he had been excited to introduce her to when she felt as though she was ready. “You’re Chimney.”

It’s with a grimace and a nod that the man looks at her, “Was wondering when you’d realise. Nice to meet you, Buck’s sister.” Oh god, she feels as though she’s going to throw up because he’s looking at her as though he’s slightly fearful of what is going to fall from her lips next as she shakes her head.

“Just uh—drink some water when you get home and—you know the drill.” He nods his head and opens his mouth to say something but she’s already out of there, quickly shutting the curtains behind her as she groans. What a wonderful introduction to one of the people who meant so much to her brother who would undoubtedly go and spread it around the station that Buck’s sister was a bitch.

Great.

.

This is really the last place she wants to be but she promised her brother she would make it right after he came home and told her that whatever she had said or done, Chimney was now terrified of her. Great. Wonderful. Of course the one person she would take out her frustration of the day on would go on to be this continuous presence in her brother’s life and by default, hers.

Her cheeks are flushed in embarrassment just as she walks through the doors and the hand holding the gift wrapped box is shaking as she slowly walks a little further into the station. She can hear her heels clicking on the ground and it’s Chimney who spots her first, because of course, why wouldn’t the universe just add that little titbit in? Luckily, it’s her brother next and she watches him grab the arm of the other man when he tries to walk away.

Yeah, she really fucked up that one royally.

Maddie isn’t entirely certain why she cares so much, perhaps it’s just because it means a lot to her little brother. He wants his whole family together and the 118 have been his family for the past few years when she couldn’t be. She feels as though she owes them something, although she’s not entirely certain what. But she’s also an expert in pushing people away and has been for a really long time and maybe she doesn’t need new friends. Maybe she doesn’t need to be a part of the family that probably hate her anyway.

She feels hot as her cheeks redden even more when she realises it’s not just Chimney and Buck but the other people she can decipher who’s who from the stories her brother has told her. Hen hovers a little between the ambulance she had been cleaning and her partner, whilst the man she presumes to be Bobby just looks on, disturbed from his conversation with the one and only person who knows what it’s like to be a stranger to these people; Eddie. Maybe it’s not too late to run out of there and probably just cement whatever idea they’ve formed of her in their own heads.

But then she sees the desperation in her brother’s face and she reminds herself that she still feels guilty over the fact she has ignored him for three years. “Hi,” She whispers, awkwardly looking down at the floor as she takes a deep breath. Why did she have to do this when they were in the middle of a shift? Why did her brother even think for a second this could be a good idea when she could be safe from embarrassment in her own apartment right then? “I uh, I’m sorry about the other day. You caught me at a bad moment and I’m not proud of myself at all and I shouldn’t have treated you like that. It wasn’t professional or fair or right and—I had no right to judge you and um,” Her eyes meet her brothers, who nods his head as though he’s encouraging her to go on and maybe she hates him just a little bit. “I just wanted to apologise.”

Finally, she looks at him, frowning when she sees the apprehension on his face before she practically thrusts the gift box into his arms, leaving him little choice but to take it. “It’s a water bottle, you know with the times on it for when you should—” She swears there’s a trace of a smile on his lips as he looks down at the carefully wrapped box, fingers moving over the bow before he looks up at her.

“You didn’t have to…”

“I wanted to.” She quickly cuts him off, biting down on her lip, “I was just having a bad day,” A bad life, she corrects herself internally, “and I took it out on you and that was wrong of me and I hope you can forgive me. Or at least tolerate me maybe, I’m really not that awful on a normal day, I promise. I was just—I was a judgemental asshole and I’m going to go now before I embarrass myself even more than I already have.” She hopes at least that she’s made her brother happy as she takes a step back.

“I was having a bad day, too, it’s fine. Seriously.” She knows it probably isn’t, especially not because she had made his embarrassment and his bad day even worse but she nods her head anyway. “I’ll uh, make sure I use this. Thanks.” She doubts he means that either but she smiles anyway, her heart thumping for an entirely different reason when he shoots a lop-sided smile back at her. “See you around? Outside of the hospital, of course.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Buck says, sensing her awkwardness as he wraps an arm around her shoulders, ignoring the way she flinches at first before she relaxes into his touch. “See? That wasn’t too bad was it?” He whispers, as they walk back towards the door and Maddie slowly shakes her head.

“I guess not.”

.

Maddie doesn’t look up from the tablet she’s holding in her hand when she opens the curtain, stepping inside before she talks, “Okay, Mr Han, what seems to be the problem?”

“I swear to you, this was not my fault this time.” Her nose scrunches up in confusion until she looks up, eyes settling on the very familiar man who she had already embarrassed herself in front of once (probably twice). He has one hand pressing against his bleeding head and a mortified look on his face when he realises that she’s his nurse and really, she supposes she can’t blame him after the last time.

“Do you uh—want me to get another nurse?” She wouldn’t blame him if he nodded his head, but instead he just frowns, removing his hand and the cloth he had been holding in place beneath it. Maddie takes a breath as she moves a little closer to him, a nervous smile on her face as she does. “How did you hurt your head? You didn’t pass out did you because—”

She bites down a little harder on her lip to stop herself from talking anymore because the last thing he probably needs or wants from her is another lecture and she really can’t afford to lose her job. “No, I promise. You can’t laugh though—” His cheeks are reddening, as is hers as she slips some gloves on and inspects the cut for herself. It’s not too bad, probably won’t even require stitches but she knows how careful he probably has to be following the significant head injury he’d suffered the year before.

“Can you follow my finger?” She asks, giving him a small smile when she moves her finger from side to side, watching as his eyes do the same. “Looks like you took quite the whack to the head.”

“Uh, yeah—with a cane, to be exact.” He must notice the way her nose scrunches up in confusion, so he continues, “We had an elderly woman patient, she was a little confused, took a hit to the head with her cane.” He most definitely notices the way she bites down a lot harder on her lip as she tries to stop herself from laughing at the image of some elderly lady hitting him with enough force to make him bleed because he’s grinning at her, and there’s a spark in his eyes that hadn’t been there the first two times they had met.

“I’ll pop some butterfly stitches over it, probably going to have more of a bruise than anything else.” She presses down gently around the cut, smiling a little when she feels the lump that is already forming, “Do you want me to get the doctor in to see you, just in case?”

“I don’t know, do you think I’ll be okay?” Is he flirting with her? There’s a small smirk on his face and he tilts his head to the side a little, watching her as she moves to grab some antiseptic from the tray.

Maddie smiles at him, letting out a small laugh as she does, “Oh, I think you’ll live to see another day, Mr Han. Maybe watch out for old ladies with weapons though, not sure how many more knocks that head of yours can take.” Maybe she’s flirting back, she’s not entirely certain but she feels her cheeks flushing and the light tremble of her hands as she wipes at the drying blood from the wound. It feels as though her heart is about to jump out of her chest, especially when his hand brushes up against her arm when he shifts position slightly.

“It’s Chimney… my friends call me Chimney.”

She tries to concentrate on the small cut as best she can, not looking into his eyes, “Are we friends? Even after I—” She drops her hand from his forehead when she’s done, still refusing to actually look at him, knowing that friendships weren’t often forged in the aftermath of being quite as rude as she had been.

“You were right, I should have known better and maybe you were a little terrifying in the way you said it and I thought I had completely messed it up with you considering you’re a part of the 118 family now whether you like it or not. But I can spot a panic attack a mile off,” She wants to assume it’s because he’s a paramedic but when she finally dares herself to look at his face, she can see a recognition in his eyes that makes her feel as though it’s something beyond watching other people experience it. “you didn’t even have to apologise, I would have still helped you move into your new apartment next week even if you hated me.”

There’s a kindness in his voice that forces her to relax a little as she nods her head, “Let’s just hope that’s the next time I see you and not in my ER again.”

“Yes ma’am.” Chimney winks at her before he swings his legs over the side of the bed, holding out his hand to her, shaking it when she takes it. “Nice to meet you, Maddie Buckley.”

“You too, Chimney.”


End file.
